Stapling machine



G. W. PERKINS STAPLING MACHINE Filed June 15, 1.922

9 4* INVEN'h'J l W. M M M.

Patented Apr. 22, 1224.

entrain stares PATENT ()FE'HCE.

GEORGE 1V. PERKINS, 0F BOSTON. MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNQR- TO HEATON PENIN- SULAR BUTTON FASTENEIB, COMPANY, TION OF MAINE;

OF BOSTON, MASSAGI'IITSETTS, A CORPORA- STAPLING MACHINE.

Application filed June 15,

To all whom it vii-a3! concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn 'W. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stapling Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a machine for making metallic fasteners for fastening buckles, buttons, or other devices to shoes or other sheet material, in which a blank for the fastener is out from a length of wire and is then bent to form a staple, which is then driven through the article to which the button or buckle is to be attached and clinched to fasten the button or buckle to the article. One form of mechanism for doing this is shown in Patent No. 982,440, granted to me February 24, 1911, in which the wire is fed through a guide to a position above an arbor and beneath a reciprocable slide formed with legs, which when the slide moves downward bend the blank over the arbor to form the legs of the staple, a blank of suitable length for the staple being out from a length of wire after it is fed over the arbor before the staple former descends, the arbor being withdrawn after the staple is formed to allow the slide to carry the staple to a position where a member mounted on the slide drives the staple through the article to which the button or buckle is to be attached, said article having been previously placed upon an anvil.

In the device shown in said Patent, No. 982,440, one of the cutters is stationary and the other is slightly movable up and down but is not attached to the slide nor is it actu ated by the slide or former.

In an application, filed January 3, 1922, Serial No. 526,501, which is especially intended for fastening buckles to shoes or other articles of sheet material. the movable cutter is rigidly connected with the slide so that after the staple is formed the cutter moves down with the slide and former during the operation of carrying and driving the staple. It is important in this class of machines, shown in both my previous patent and said patent application, that the said legs of the slide which bend the legs of the staple shall also be utilized when the 1922. Serial No. 568,505.

slide moves downward to clamp against the anvil the article to which the buckle or buttons are to be attached, while the staple is being driven by the driver. hen the cutter is attached to the slide, as in my said patent application, No. 526,501, the cutter is apt to engage with some portion of the buckle or other obstruction before the legs of the slide have descended far enough to clamp the articleto the anvil. This cannot be remedied by having the legs of the slide extend further below the lower edge of the cutter, because in that case the engagement of the legs with the wire to bend it over the arbor will not be properly timed with relation to the cutting of the wire, because the wire would be bent before it would be out. I desire. however, to have the cutter actuated by the movement of the former so as to have a perfectly timed operation of the cutter.

The object of the present invention is to mount the cutter separate from the slide and former and to provide means whereby when the slide moves down and has arrived at a suitable predetermined position the cutter may be actuated by the slide to sever the wire blank from the body of the wire and be in position not to interfere with the movement of the slide to clamp the article to the anvil.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel. features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section of a machine embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the machine shown in Figure 1, showing the parts in position before the slide has descended to actuate the cutter to cut the wire.

Fig. 3 is a side elevationpartly in section showing the slide and cutter in the position after the wire has been severed.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cutter.

Referring now to the drawings, A represents the head of the machine which contains the staple forming and wire feeding mechanism, and 13 represents the base on which is mounted the anvil.

Preferably the blank from which the staples are formed is cut from a wire which is fed to the forming mechanism interm ttently as the staples are severally needed. Any suitable wire feeding mechanism may be employed. That shown in the drawings is very similar to that shown in my said prior Patent, No. 982,440, and said pending application, Serial No. 526,501. In brief, a length of wire 5 may be run from reel or any other suitable source of supply. Mounted fast on a rod 6 is a block 7, which is termed the wire end block, and passin loosely through said block 7 is a rod 8 which serves as a guide. The wire 5 passes be tween a rest 9 pivoted to the block 7 and a dog 10 pivoted to the block 7, whose operation will be Well understood, said dog permitting the forward feed of the wire but preventing the backward slipping of the wlre.

Loosely mounted on the rod 6 is a block 11, which is termed the feed block. The block 11 is slidable on the rod 8 as well as on the rod 6. The wire passes between a rest 12 pivoted to said block 11, and a dog 13 Whose pointed lower end engages with the wire.

The forward end of the wire passes through a guide 1 1 and projects far enough beyond the guide at each feed movement so asto project a certain amount of wire under the forming mechanism to form a blank for a single staple. The forward end 15 of this guide member it forms one of the cutting members for the wire, the wire being cut by a shearing action between the said cutting portion 15 and the cutting edge 16 of the pivoted cutter. member 17 which is pivoted to a projection 30 on the guide member 14-, as will be more particularly de scribed hereinafter.

The means for actuating the feed of the wire is as follows :-F ulcrumed on a pin 19 is a lever 20, the lower end of which is pi votally connected with the wire feed block 11, the upper arm of said lever being bent and actuated by suitable mechanism, not deemed necessary to be shown. herein. One form of such mechanism is shown in Patent llo. 1,017,628, granted to me February 18, 1912. The said lever 20 is oscillated on its pivot in such manner and so timed that it will give to the feed block 11 a forward movement at the proper time and for a sufficient distance to carry the wire a distance equal to the length of the blank required for a single fastener.

The mechanism for forming the loop and legs of the wire is as follows ertically earers anvil when the staple is carried down by the slide to position it upon the leather or other article to which the buckle or button is to be attached.

An arbor is provided which is movable into and out of position and so controlled in its movemei that it will be in the position shown in gure 1 to receive upon its top the portion 26 of the wire which is to form the blank and which projects from the end of the guide 1 lat the forward feed of the wire. The slide 18 is slotted at its lower end, forming two leg portions 27-27 which at their proper time will be actuated to move downward and to bend the wire blank 26-over the arbor 25, the two legs straddling the arbor immediately after the blank is severed from the body of the wire.

The cutter member 17 is formed with an arm 28 which is pivoted to a fixed part of the machine. Preferably it is pivoted at 29 to the ear 3O projecting laterally from the wire guide 1 1 at its forward end. Said cutter member has at its rear end a curved heel portion 81 which rests upon a cam surface 32 formed in one side of the slide 18 that when the slide 18 moves down. the said cutter member will be rocked up on its pivot and the cutting edge 16 will be forced down upon the wire and cooperate with the cutting end 15 of the wire guide to sever the blank 26 from the body of the wire. A spring 33 is coiled around a pin 34 mounted in a lug 35 projecting from the outer surface of ihe cover plate 36 of the slide, the rear end 87 of the spring bearing against said cover plate and the forward end 38 of said spring passing down through a slot 39 in the cover plate and engaging with the tail. portion to of the cutter member 17, so as to normally hold the said cutter member turned back on its pivot. The cutter will remain turned down however after cutting the wire until the slide moves back to its upward position, as shown in Figure 1, after its downward movement in forming and setting a staple, and then said spring 33 will cause the said cutter to turn back on its pivot into position for the next downward operation for cutting the wire.

The legs 272'. of the slide are provided with grooves l1 to receive the staple and carry it to the position for driving" the staple.

It is not deemed necessary to describe in detail the mechanism for moving the arbor 25 in and out of operative position as it forms no part of the present invention, suitable mechanism for that purpose being fully shown and described in said prior patent and patent application. Mechanism for that purpose is, however, shown in the drawings and briefly described as follows The arbor is slidable in a path at right angles to the path of the slide 18, as shown tee ers in Figure 2. The slide 18 is movable in a vertical direction and the arbor 25 is movable in a horizontal direction in a guide 1-2 in the head of the machine. The forward portion of the arbor is formed with a cam surface e3. When the slide 18 has moved down far enough to form the legs of the staple, its lower end will engage the said cam surface 413 and move the arbor to the right, viewing it as in Figure 2, thus withdrawing the arbor from the path of movement of the former. A spring it normally holds the arbor in a forward position to support the wire blank ready for the forming operation of the staple. but yields to the action of the slide on the cam surface 4:3 of the arbor to permit the withdrawal of the arbor and the spring is thereby compressed ready to throw the arbor forward again into operative position at the proper time.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, an arbor, a wire guide adjacent the arbor through which wire is fed to lay upon the arbor a projecting portion of the wire, the forward end of the said guide forming a stationary member of two cutting members, an oscillatable cutting member pivoted to a support adjacent the first cutting member having a cutting edge, which when said second cutting member oscillates moves in a plane at right angles to the projecting portion of the wire between the end of the guide and the arbor, a reciprocable slide adapted to bend upon the arbor the projecting portion of the wire after it has been severed. and a cam connected with the said slide and moving therewith, which engages said pivoted. cutter to oscillate the same on its pivot at a predetermined point in the movement of the slide and cause said cutter to engage the wire. and by cooperation with the said fixed cutter to sever the said projecting portion of the wire while it lies on the arbor.

2. In a machine of the character described. an arbor. a reciprocable slide adapted to bend a wire blank over the arbor to form a staple, a cutting member adjacent the arbor which aids in supporting the wire, a pivoted cutting member adapted to cooperate with said first cutter. and a cam on said slide member which actuates said pivoted cutter to sever the portion of the wire which is to form the blank at a predetermined time in. relation to the bending operation of the slide upon the blank. and a spring for rc storing the said pivoted cutting member to its position preliminary to another cutting operation.

3. In a. machine of the character described. an. arbor, a wire guide adjacent the arbor through which wire is fed to lay upon the arbor a projecting portion of the wire. the forward end of the said guide forming one member of, two cutting members, a reciprocable slide adapted to bendv the wire upon the arbor to form a staple, a second cutting member pivoted to a support adjacent the first cutting member, and a cam connected with the slide and moving therewith which actuates the said pivoted cutter to oscillate the same on its pivot at a predetermined point in the movement of the slide with relation to the arbor so as to sever the projecting portion of the wire which is to form the blank while it lies on the arbor.

41. In a machine of the character described, an arbor. a wire guide adjacent the arbor through which wire is fed to lay upon the arbor a projecting portion of the wire, the forward end of the said guide forming one member of two cutting members, a reciprocable slide adapted to bend the wire upon the arbor to form a staple. a second cutting member pivoted to a projection on said wire guide. and a cam connected with the slide and moving therewith which actuates the said pivoted cutter to oscillate the same on its pivot'at a predetermined point in the movement of the slide with relation to the arbor so as to sever the projecting portion of the wire which is to form the blank while it lies on the arbor.

5. In a machine-of the character described, an arbor. a wire guide adjacent the arbor through which wire is fed to lay upon the arbor a projecting portion of the wire, the forward end of the said guide forming a stationary member of two cutting members. an oscillatable cutting member pivoted to a support adjacent the first cutting member having a cutting edge. which, when said second cutting member oscillates, moves in a plane at right angles to the projecting portion of the wire between the end of the guide and the arbor. a reciprocable slide. means for actuating said slide to engage the projecting portion of the wire while it lies upon the arbor. and a cam connected with the said slide and moving therewith which engages said pivoted cutter to oscillate the same on its pivot at a predetermined point in the movement of the slide and cause said cutter to engage the wire and by cooperation with the fixed cutter to sever the said projecting portion of the wire while it lies on the arbor. the continued movement of the slide bending the severed blank over the arbor.

6. In a machine of the character described. an arbor. an apertured wire guide adjacent the arbor through which the wire is fed to lay upon the arbor a projecting portion of the wire, the forward end of the said guide forming one of two cutting members. an oscillatable cutting member pivoted. to a support adjacent said first cutting member and having a cutting edge. which. when said second cutting member oscillates, engages the projecting portion of the wire between the end of the guide and the arbor, a reciprocable slide, means for actuating said slide to engage the projecting portion of the wire While it lies upon the arbor, a cam mounted upon said slide and moving therewith a spring which normally retains said oscillatable cutter in position to be engaged by the cam during the descent of the slide, the continued descent of the slide causing the cam to turn the oscillata'ble cutter on its pivot to engage the wire where it projects from the guide and to sever the said projecting portion of the wire while it lies on the arbor, said spring operating to restore the said oscillatable cutter to its normal position after the cam has been released from the cutter on the return movement of the slide.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. PERKINS. 

